Torch cutting machine



July 12, 1932. J. ANDERSON 7 1,367,047,

TORCH CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 30. I951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I l l mrllHll HI WWW! INVENTOR Z.

July 12, 1932,

J. 1.. ANDERSON TORCH CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 50, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 nv VENTOR ,4 TTORNE V j y 3 J. ANDERSON TORCH CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 50,1931

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 M INVENTOR B Y 2 Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES L. ANDERSON, F TENAELY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR ro nI EEniIc'rIoN cour- 3 PANY, INCORPORATED, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A ooEPoEA'rroN or NE -Yong f V molten CUTV'IING MACHINE Application filed July 30, 1931. Serial No. 553,932.

This invention relates to a machine or apparatus for. transverse cutting of flanged shapes, more especially an apparatus to be secured to a flange of a shape, to cut aweb or another plate portion disposed at an angle to the anchorage flange. The invention is applicable to the cutting of the webs of H, I or channel shapes. The particular purpose for which the illustrated embodiment of the invention was designed was the cutting of the webs of H columns or beams.

It has been customary to cut H shapes to required lengths with a hand cutting torch, but that leaves much to be desired. A rather complicated and expensive, stationary machine, to which the columns must be brought, 7

having a plurality of torches andmeans for operating them to cut the flanges and web in one operation, has been proposed.

In the accompanying application Serial No. 553,981, filed July 30, 1931, I disclose a small and simple machine which can be easily carried about and can be aflixed first to one flange and then to the other flange of a shape of this character, to out these parts quickly, cleanly and truly in a mechanical manner, as

the term mechanical is understood in this art. The present invention provides another small, carriable machine .or apparatus for cutting across the web, thereby completing the severance. Naturally, however, the in- 1 flange at any position along its length and when aflixed is perfectly trued for the gas cutting operation, which can be easily shifted along the shape to be cut while it is supported by the shape, which is adapted to bridge shapes of different depthsand toreceive support on the flanges regardless of their spacing, and with which the desired out can be executed expeditiously,"economically and with entire exactitude." Two machines constructed in accordance with the two applications constitute a very advantageous equip- I ment for cutting H columns and ,the like, mmimizing ha-ndlingby crane or otherwise, of the massive sections, and making'possible aseverance so smooth and precise that there need be little or no subsequent machining.

- Other objects and features of the present invention, and their applicabilityto the cutting of other specific shapes, will beunderstood from the disclosure of the present preferred embodimentillustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in thebody of the specification.- v V In the drawings, which form a parthereof:

Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of-the machine applied to a recumbent H column, the latter being shownin section, both the web of the column, whichis to be cut and the 'bridgeor arm of the machine being broken out intermediate the ends, and the flanges of the 001- f umn being shown as having already been cut;

2 is a plan View, only. a fragment of I the shape to be out being shownv and inter- 'mediate portions being broken out as in Fig.1; and r r Fig. 3is taken as a vertical, longitudinal section through the shape, looking at; the

back of the upstandingflange on which the machine is anchored,-showing the machine in elevation from th1S'V1eWpO1Ilt.-

The cutting machine is shown applied to I an H column 2, the web 4 ofjwhich is to'be cut bythe torch or equivalent thermalscutting device 6 supported uponthe carriageS of the machine. The beam or columnis in horizontal position, with its web horizontal and its flanges 10 and 11 vertical. The machine is retained in fixed relation to one of the flanges of the-column by a clamping means.

In the drawings the flange to which it is secured is the one marked 10. v a

The clamping means includes a pair of horizontally spaced arms 12, integral with a clamp frame 14:, the body of which isadapted to exte'ndalong thetop of thefiange 10 to.

which it is secured. Each of these arms-is provided with a machined pad 16', upon its inner face, toabut the outer face of the flange 10 at two longitudinally distant p-oints and thereby true'the machine inrelationto this fa ce; Another arm 18 extends downward,

from the frame 14 in suchposition as to be disposed at the inner side of the flange when the machine is applied to column 2. This arm has a screw-threaded passage for a clampfscrew 20, which is set against the inner face of the flange '10, in order to fix the frame in predetermined position and relation on themember. to be .cut..

To supporter the'clamp frame on the up.-

stan" ing flange 10 is obtained "by'a pair of wheels 22 supported on axles 24,which are solidly heldin forks 26 at the opposite ends of theframe 14. Thesewheelsbearifirmly on the edge surface of the flange and not only true the machine in referenceto'the line'of the top of the flange, but also enable the machine -tobe conveniently shifted along the column when the screw 20 is released. i

A rigid-bridge or beam 28 is secured near one of its ends to a seat in the middle of the top of the clamp frame 14, this bridge being adapted-to extend across the beamto be cut,

over'th'e web 4; Flanges 30 on the bridge provide trackways for guiding flanged wheels 32 preferably three in number, on the car'- riage 8.

' li-ve' axle 44' carrying two 'of'the wheels 32. I

The carriage 8 has a box-like body 34, including the wheel housings 36, bounding Walls 38 and top-wall 40,-the bottomof the mechanism chamber in the body being closed by a cover plate 42. The side Walls are for-med withbe'aring's, in two of which'is' a In a third bearingjis held a stubaxle'carrying the remaining wheel; 4 1

Loosely carried upon the axle, within the interior of the body, is a collar 46, secured to 'which 'is a worm gear 48, the';latter being inmesh with a. worm flxedon a ve rtical shaft 52. The shaft 52-'extend supward through the top of thecarriage for connec- "tion with the vertical. shaft ofia' housed worm "gea'ring 54, whichis' ,assembled with and driven by a motor-56. This motor is supported upon the top of'the carriage- 8 and is provided with a housed gover nor '58, preferably ofthe' centrifugalmake-and-break type, having a knob '60'to adjust the speedof cutting,

which 7 -is held constant 7 at any adjustment.

Power for the 'motor'is secured from" a cable connected to the'plug-in socket 62, which is connected by suitable wiring with the motor. A switch 64 on the top wall enables the motor to be started and stopped. J

The collar 46 has clutch teeth 66 for engagement with teeth 68 on a clutch collar 70, Whichis slid-able on'the axle 44, but coupled I to it for rotation. Theshiftable' clutch collar is urged into engagement with the collar 46' by a spring 72.

Theclutch collar has a groove engaged by a shi-fter fork forming one arm of a bell- 'crankjthe pivot of which extends up through fiBQthe-top ofthe carriage, sothat. the other arm 76 is'above the carriage, this arm being equipped with a handle 7 8 for opening the j clutch.

Fixed to the bottom of carriage 8 is a boss to receive a headed stud 80. The shank of 1 this stud extends down throughalongitudinal slot' 82 in the .web oft-the bridge 28, so

that the head of the stud, which is wider than V theslot, is beneath the bridge. Inthisway means areiprovided for keeping thecarriage ends 86 to embrace its sides. .This plate carrFesa wheel or roller 88.to bear on top ofthe flange 11, and is formed .with a screw-threaded boss 90 which is engaged by a thumb screw 92 extendingthrough the slot 82. WViththis screw the plate can be clamped to thebridge at any position: along the length of the latter. Thus, the distance. betweenithexroller 88 and the rollers22canbe adjusted in conformity with different depths of columns or other shapesIto -belcutg .When theirollerfis ee has been. adjusted, the entire machine can. be moved along the. flanges 10. and .11 without effort."

The cutting torch may be oxygen cutting. jet. variety, or it maybe. a ,means 0f 10c the kind used-lin the-atomic. hydrogen cutting method. It is carried'in aholder 94 having a lateral trunnion held rpivotallyin a bearing l 96. The pivoting of :theftorch:h0lder enables the/torch tobetiltedf-rom a vertical positionitoiinclinations either forward. or

1 rearward in its plane of; ,movement-z-across the web-tobe'cut; The .torch is adjustable lengthwise, up .or down, in the holder. in ,the

fusual manner, by a hand-wheel. havingazg pinion 102 to mesha rack 104 on the torch."

At the end of. .thetravel of the vcarriage,

the body of. the torch for similar thermalcutting. device.v might. interfere J with ;.the flange V 10 or. 11 so iasitokeep the jets from reaching=1 I the ends ofithe cut thatmustbemadegthrough the web. This difficulty can beovercomeby tilting the torch .or torch holder, but the regulation of the. anglecof. attack "is aratherdelicate matter,.and I'have therefore. providedlalj g means for accomplishing this purpose-in; a convenient manner WhlCh. gives-the operator exact. control. 1 This. adjustlng .ineans has. a

bracket .106ifixed to thegcarriage8j Inga bearing 1080f this bracket a; c 1ind n11 0 can turn, this cylinder having.v a. .cross'ehole' through which-the unthreaded portion of an adjusting-V screwllO is: passed: The adjusting screw. has a hand-wheel .114, and is held against moving lengthwise-in therpivot x130 7 s0 bridge 28 onthe other The torch-holder 94 has an arm 116 containing a pivot bearing 118 for a cylinder 120 having a transverse, screw-threaded hole which is engaged by the threaded portion of the adjusting screw. The bearings 108- and 118 have transverse openings large enough to allow for change in the angularity of the screw. Thus, by turning the hand-wheel 114, the torch can be adjusted quickly and exactly to any desired degree of inclination for or aft, even while the cut is being made.

It will be obvious that numerous changes can be made in the construction of theapparatus, without departing from the novelty of the invention set forth in the claims.

I claim: r

1. A machine for cutting flanged shapes with a torch or the like, said machine having means for anchoring it over one edge only of a flange of the shape, a bridge extending from said means, a torch carriage guided along said bridge to move transversely of another plate portion of the shape, and means for moving said carriage to advance the cut at uniform speed.

2. A machine for cutting flanged shapes with a torch or the like, said machine having means for anchoring it over one edge only of a flange of the shape, a bridge extending from said means, a torch carriage guided along said bridge to move transversely of another plate portion of the shape, wheels on said carriage to travel on said bridge, and a motor on the carriage geared to said wheels.

3. A machine for cutting flanged shapes traverse the web, and means for advancing said carriage. i

7. A machine for cuttingflanged shapes with a torch or the like, comprising a frame and means for anchoring it to an upstanding flange of the shape, a transverse guide, a

torch-carriage movable along said guide,

means for driving the torch-carriage, and means for adjusting the angularity of the torch to complete the cut into the: angle between the flange and web portions of the shape. v I

8. A machine for cuttingflanged shapes with a torch or the'like, comprising a slotted cross guide andmeansfor applying it to the upstanding flanged part of the shape, a motor-driven, wheeled torch carriage to travel 1 along said guide, and me'ansholding said said track, means for propelling the carriage, and a torch supported on the carriage to cut the horizontal portion of the member.

JAMES L. ANDERSON.

with a torch or the like, comprlsing a suprollers to rest on top of two upstanding flanges, means for anchoring the structure to a flange, means so that the distance between the rollers to rest on spaced flanges can be changed, a torch-carriage movable along the bridge, and mechanical means for propelling said carriage. V

5. A machine for cutting flanged shapes with a torch or the like, comprising a struc- 1 ture adaptedto be supported on two upstanding flanges connected by a web, a torchoarriage guided on said structure to traverse the web, and means for advancing said carriage.

6. A machine for cutting flanged shapes with a torch or the like, comprising a structure adapted to be supported on two upstanding flanges connected by a web,'means for anchoring said structure to one of the flanges,

-- porting structure having a cross bridge'and a torch-carriage guided on said structure to 

